Drawing on research from his friend Brian Bates, a psychologist as Sussex University, Cleese claims that …[Creativity] is not a skill or an aptitude, it is a “mood,” one Cleese describes as “childlike” in that it aids one in the ability to play. Cleese makes a similar point in his 2009 talk at the top, emphasizing that acquiring this mood is difficult but not impossible. As all artists know, genuine creative insights occur when rational thought ceases—during dreamstates or moments of absorption so intense that self-consciousness, anxiety, and the needling cares of the day drop away. As Cleese put it at the World Creativity Forum, “if you’re racing around all day, ticking things off a list, looking at your watch, making phone calls and generally just keeping all the balls in the air, you are not going to have any creative ideas.”

My passion is understanding and improving opportunities for children to grow and learn, by working with children and adults throughout the world, on topics including universal design for learning, learning in and through nature, behavior and self regulation, and thoughtful use of technology in education. Let’s take the next step together – in workshops, consultations, mentoring, and writing or designing materials!